Sand separator for deep wells



Jan. 27, 1942. G, s, FOSNAUGH 2,271,002

SAND SEPARATOR FOR DEEP WELLS FledrFeb. 15, 1940 Patented Jan. 27, 1942 UNITED STATESy PATENT OFFICE SAND sEPARAToR Foa DEEP WELLS Y n George S. Fosnaugh, Compton, Calif. Application February 1s, 1940,seria1No. 318,725 110 claims. (01. 10a- 204) This invention relates to a separator'to be used at the bottom of a well for effecting the separation of sand from a liquid, such as oil, that may carry a considerable quantity of sand with it. As is well known, when sand is present in a liquid being pumped, it is destructive to the valves and the pump plunger or piston, as it will score the Avalves and valve'seats, eventually increasing the leakage to such an extent that the valves must be renewed.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a sand separator for use at the bottom of the well, that will operate to remove a large proportion of the sand carried in the liquid being pumped. In carrying out the invention, means is provided for developing a current in the incoming liquid with which sand ejecting means cooperates to separate the sand and eject it from the liquid; and one of the objects of the invention is to provide means for insuring that the separator device will not eventually become packed with sand.

A further object of the invention is to provide automatic means for ejecting any sand vthat might accumulate in the separator beyond the separating devices that operate successively to extract the sand from the flowing current of liquid.

' Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combination of parts to be described hereinafter,

all of which contribute to produce an eilicientv sand separator for deep wells. y

A preferred embodiment of the inventionisdescribed in the following specification, while the broad scopevof the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

'In the drawing: v Fig. 1 lis a side velevation of the lower end of lar body I, which is constructed so that it can belreadily attached to the lower end of a flow pipe 2.V While this improvement can be employed with any kind of a pump that develops an upward flow through the bottom of a flow pipe, in the present specification I have described the invention as applied to a deep well pump of common construction, having a standing valve 3, and a reciprocating pump rod 4 carrying a piston 5 with a valve 6.

Inaccordance with my improvement, I construct the tubular body I with means for developing a downward flowing current of the sand carrying liquid, and I provide means operating on this downward current tol effect the separation of the sand from the liquid. In the present instance, I provide the tubular body I with a substantially vertical partition Wall I that may, if desired, .be located near the central axis of the tubular body. vThis partition wall divides the interior ofthe body where it is located, into a down-take duct 8 and an up-take duct 9. When the vsuction occurs that draws the liquid into the separator,` for example, during the up-stroke of the pump rod 4, a partial vacuum will be developed in the duct 9, up which the liquid will flow. Throughout the length of the down-take duct 8, I provide a pluralityrof means forv effecting the separation of the sand from the flowing liquid. In order to accomplish this, I prefer to provide an elbow-shaped inlet I0, which has a mouth II emerging through the outer wall of the body at this point. This elbow inlet directs the inilowing liquid in a downward direction, and as the liquid the flow pipe to which my invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my sand kseparator upon alarger'scale, and representing the same as removed from the lower end of the flowpipe.

, Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken about on the line 3'-3 of Fig. 2, and particularly illustrating the details of the construction on the interior of the separator.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section upon a still larger scale, and taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section similar to Fig. 4but taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2. l

" In practicing the invention, I provide a tubuvice, the sand -comn'g down with the current in' passes downwardly, it passes a series of baies I2. These baffles are preferably in the form of inclined webs I3 that may be formed integrally with the outerwall of the body, and inclined sor that they will guide the. sand outwardly through sand outlets I4. These sand outlets I4 are preferably of larger diameter toward the upper end of the separator, so that they gradually decrease toward its lower end. These baflles nearli7 block the passage for the liquid, but their inner edges are disposed slightly away from the plate-like partition 'I so that a series of slots I 5 are formed in the separator, and these slots are of gradually increasing width toward the lower end of the separator.

' At the lower end of the duct 8 the liquid passes through,l or under, the lower edge of the partition 1, andthence upwardly as indicated 'by the arrows at this point. In the operation of the dethe down-take duct, is deflected outwardly :by

the baffles, but of course as this sand is ejected, a considerable quantity of the liquid will pass out with the sand. I provide means for returning this liquid, and this means preferably consists of a plurality of small liquid inlets I3. In this way, in the operation of the device, a kind of local circulation of the liquid is developed at the bottoms of the bailles, with the liquid passing in through the liquid inlets I 8 and the sand passing out. These inlets I8 operating in this way, tend to prevent any possible clogging of the sand in the sand outlets, and at the bottoms of the inclined baiiles.

Of course, some sand will remain in the liquid passing under the bottom edge of the partition "I, and unless some provision were made for eliminating this sand, the separator will eventually clog up at this point. On this account,rI provide an automatic sand ejector which preferably involves the use of an ejector valve I9 that comes upwardly upon the valve seat formed in a web or wall 2B extending across the interior of the body. Just above thisV valve, I prefer to provide a rotary device 2 I, which operates as an agitator. This is in the formof a bladed wheel mounted to rotate in a substantially vertical plane. This wheel is located slightly below the junction point of the down-take duct 8 and the upetake duct`9.

The valve is held on its seat byjalight coil spring 22. If any sand tends to accumulate at this point, it will be ejected eventually when the valve I9 opens. Of course, the .momentumv of the sand coming down the down-takeduct 8 will have some influence on bringing this result about, but the same result is augmented at the commencement of the down-stroke of the piston, because when this occurs, of course'the suction condition in the duct 9 changes into a slight pressure condition accompanied'by a back surge of the liquid that opens the valve, and also rotates the agitator-due to the curvature of its,

blades. This increase of pressure will tend tol open the valve occasionally, 'if not on every stroke of the pump, and the sand will pass down intoa sand chamber 23 below the valve from Vwhich sandy can pas-s outwardly through an outlet 24in the side of this sand chamber. j The valve I9 may be guided in any suitable manner, and mayl include a long stern 25, the lower Vend of Vwhich is guided in the plug 26 that screws into the lower` end of the separator.

The agitator 2l' includes outwardly projecting blades 2l. The rotation 4of this agitator would be in an anti-clockwise direction, so'that the blades 2l would tend to prevent the sand car-l ried in the liquid that passes under the partition,

from'ris-ing, and throwing the samev toward th left, -as viewed in Fig. 3.

For conveniencek in manufacture, the bafflesV may be carried on a section or coverla that can be welded in place or otherwise secured. Many other embodiments of this invention may be resorted to without departing from the theupper end of the down-take duct, and for di recting the sand current downward, the pumping suction in the up-take duct operating to maintain the downward movement of the said current, the outer wall of said down-take duct having sand outlets, and bailles projecting across the current in the down-take duct and past which the said current ows downward, for baflling the sand and for guiding the same out through said sand outlets while permitting the liquid in said current to pass.

2. In a liquid and sand separator for use at a well bottom, the combination of a tubular body to be attached to the lower end of the flow pipe of the well, and having a substantially vertical f* partition wall dividing the same into an up-take duct, and a down-take duct with its upper end closed off above from communication with the interior of the tubular body, means for admitting the liquid in a current carrying sand adjacent the upper end of the down-take duct, the pumping suction in the up-take duct operating to maintain the downward movement of the said current, the outer wall of said down-take duct having sand outlets, and a plurality of inclined bailles located at different levels With respectl t0 each other, projecting from the outer Wall of the down-take duct,A inclining downwardly toward their outer ends for arresting thesand and for guiding the saine out through said sand outlets.

3. In a liquid and sand separator for Vuse at a well bottom, the combination of a tubular body to be attached to the lower end of the flow pipe of the well, and having a substantially vertical partition wall dividing the same into an up-take duct, and a down-take duct with its upper end closed oif above from communication with the interior of the tubular body, means for admitting the liquid in a current carrying sand adjacent' the upper end of the down-take duct, the 4pumping suction in the up-take duct operating to maintain the downwardl movement of the said current, the outer wall of said down-take duct having sand outlets, and inclined baffles projecting inwardly into the down-take duct from the outer wall thereof, inclining downwardly toward the outer Wall vfor arresting the sand and for guiding 'the same out through said sand outlets, the inner edges of said baflies being progressively at greater distances from the said partition Wall toward the lower end of said down-take duct.

4. In a liquid and sand separator for use at a well bottom, the combination of a tubular body to be attached to the lower end of the flow pipe of the well and having a substantially vertical '55 partition wall dividing the same into :an 'up-take duct, anda down-take duct rwith its'upper end closed off above from rcommunication Awith the interior of the tubular body,y the upper end of said down-take duct having aninlet for the, sand carrying liquid for delivering thefsame in a downward direction through the down-,talseduca a plurality of separatingfmeans disposed along rotated by the flowing liquid and having outwardly projecting blades for `baiiiing any -sand still remaining in the liquid current.

5. In a liquid and sand Separator for useat a well bottom, the combination of a tubular body to be attached to the lower end of the flow pipe of the well and having a substantially vertical partition wall dividing the same into an -up-take duct, and a down-take duct with its upper end closed ofi above from communication with the interior of the tubular body, the upper end of said down-take duct having an inlet for the sand carrying liquid for delivering the same in a downward direction through the down-take duct, a plurality of separating means disposed along the down-take duct operating to arrest portions of the sand and direct the same out of the downtake duct, said parts cooperating so that the liquid passes by the partition below the sand separating devices and flows upwardly toward the flow pipe, a rotary device in said tubular body below the point where the liquid passes the plane of said partition, said rotary device being rotated by the flowing liquid and having outwardly projecting blades for baffling any sand still remaining in the liquid current, and a` valve below the rotary device including means for exerting a light pressure to hold the same closed, said valve operating to open from time to time and permit accumulating sand to pass downwardly and out of said tubular body.

6. In a liquid and sand separator for use at a well bottom, the combination of a tubular body to be attached to the lower end of the ow pipe of the well, and having a substantially vertical partition wall dividing the same into an up-take duct, and a down-take duct with its upper end closed oi above from communication with the interior of the tubular body, means for admitting the liquid in a current carrying sand adjacent the upper end of the down-take duct, the pumping suction in the up-take duct operating to maintain the downward movement of the said current, the outer wall of said down-take duct having sand outlets, baffles in the down-take duct for arresting the sand and for guiding the same out through said sand outlets, the outer wall of said down-take duct having liquid inlets relatively smaller than the said sand outlets.

7. In a liquid and sand separator for use at a well bottom, the `combination of a tubular body to be attached to the lower end of the flow pipe of the well, and having a substantially vertical partition wall dividing the same into an up-take duct, and a downtake duct with its upper end closed 01T above from communication with the interior of the tubular body, means for admitting the liquid in a current carrying sand adjacent the upper end of thedown-take duct, the pumping suction in the up-take duct operating to maintain the downward movement of the said current, the outer wall of said down-take duct having sand outlets of relatively larger area toward the upper end of said down-take duct, and a progressively smaller area toward the lower end of the down-take duct, and bafflesin the down-take duct for arresting the sand and for guiding the same out through said sand outlets.

8. In a sand separator for a deep well, to be attached to the flow pipe, the combination of -a down-take duct through which the sand and liquid descends, an up-take duct with which the lower end of the down-take duct communicates, for directing the liquid upward, a movable mechanical agitator mounted at the junction of the lower ends of the ducts, so as to be rotated by the current passing between the ducts, and down past the agitator, and an ejector sand valve therebelow.

9. In a sand separator for a deep well, to be attached to the iiow pipe below a pump, the -combination of a casing having a down-take duct through which the current of liquid carrying sand descends, and an up-take duct with which the lower end of the down-take duct communicates for directing the liquid upwardly, an agitator located adjacent the lower ends of the ducts and having blades in the path of the descending liquid and operating to be rotated by the passing current due to the increase in pressure accompanying the down stroke of the pump; and an ejector sand valve therebelow adapted to be opened by the said increase in pressure.

10. In a sand separator for a deep well, to be attached to the flow pipe below a pump, the combination of a casing having a down-take duct through which the current of liquid carrying the sand descends; an uptake duct with which the lower end of the down-take duct communicates for directing the liquid upward, an agitator in the form of a 4bladed wheel mounted to rotate in a substantially vertical plane adjacent to, and below, the junction point of said ducts so that the blades of the wheel lie adjacent the path of the descending sand, said blades being bent and gcooperating with the flow of the current to rotate the wheel, and an ejector sand valve below the agitator. Y

GEORGE S. FOSNAUGH. 

